Tuesday, 11 January 2011

Books to look forward to from HarperCollins

Stuart MacBride’s new novel Shatter the Bonesis published in January. Mother and daughter singing sensation have been kidnapped just as they have got through to the semi-finals of a reality television style programme. With the ransom demand appearing via different media outlets it is up to DS Logan McRae to solve the kidnapping but with not much to go on time is running out.

The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club. This is a re-issue of an 80-year old novel written by 12 members of The Detection Club. Each member has written a chapter and tells the tale of Inspector Rudge as he investigates the death of a man whose corpse is brought ashore by a sailor. Even with the clues, not everything is as straightforward or clear, as it should be. A unique novel of its time The Floating Admiral is due to be re-published in March 2011.

The Gallows Birdby Camila Läckberg is the fourth psychological Swedish thriller to be translated into English and is due to be published in March 2011. When a woman is found dead in what seems to be a tragic accident it is soon followed by a number of other unexplainable incidents. At the same time a reality television programme is been shot in the town and an unpopular contestant is killed. But as the crew and cast come under suspicion could there in fact be a serial killer on the loose?

Europe is still littered with the darkest secrets of the Cold War. And the most deadly revelation of them all is about to be made.Hard-up Russia expert Dr Sam Gaddis finally has a lead for a book that could set his career back on track. He has staggering new information about an unknown sixth member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring – a man who has evaded detection for his entire life.But when his source suddenly dies, Gaddis is left with just shreds of his investigation, and no idea that he is already in too deep. He is threatened, betrayed, hunted – and alone. To get his life back, he must scour a continent still laced with lies to find the truth behind the Trinity Six.Both Moscow and MI6 will use everything in their power to keep their fragile peace intact. But why murder people to hide secrets that should by now be history? Gaddis starts to understand – far too late – that he is closing in on a discovery that will shake Europe to its foundations.The Trinity Six is by Charles Cumming and is due to be published in February 2011.

The third thriller by Tom Knox following The Genesis Secret and The Marks of Cain is called the Bible of the Dead. When archeologist Julia Kerrigan finds a skull with a hole in its head she shows it to a colleague who is subsequently killed in suspicious circumstances. Meanwhile photographer Jake Thursby whilst in the jungles of south-east Asia is offered a curious assignment by a lawyer who is investigating finds at the 2000-year old Plain of Jars. Finds which the authorities are trying hard to conceal. Meanwhile back in England a professor is brutally and elaborately murdered. The murder remains unsolved but soon the archeologist, lawyer and photographer find that as they pursue their separate quests to discover the truth an underlying pattern begins to emerge which connects all the events. The Bible of the Dead is due to be published in March 2011.

Prophecy the second book in the series to feature philosopher, scientist and heretic Giordano Bruno is due to be published in March 2011. It is Autumn 1583 and also the year of the Great Conjunction where an astrological phen

omenon is believed to herald the death of one age and the dawn of another. When a young maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth I is found murdered inside the palace walls with astrological symbols carved into her flesh it is up to Bruno to track down the killer especially since the Queen refuses to believe that it could be someone from her own court. Prophecy is by S J Parris whose first book in the series Heresy was shortlisted for the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger in 2010.

House of the Hanged by Mark Mills is a tale of patriotism, passion and murder, unfolding on the French Riviera. Former British intelligence operative Tom Wyndham is currently living quietly in La Rayol, France. But it is 1935 and the war is on the horizon and when someone tries to murder him in his sleep he realizes that his past has come back to haunt him with a vengeance. House of the Hanged is due to be published in July 2011.

In The Whispering Gallery journalist John Steadman finds himself investigating a murder when he witnesses a man falling to his death from the Whisper Gallery also killing a priest in the process. When he subsequently begins to receive parcels in the post containing the body parts of a woman along with enigmatic notes one of which states that he will be the killer’s final victim he ends up setting himself up as bait. The Whispering Gallery is by Mark Sanderson and is due for publication in July 2011.

What the Night Knows is by Dean Koontz and is due to be published in January 2011. When fourteen-year old Billy Lucas confesses to a shocking crime Detective John Calvino who interviews him senses a greater danger. This feeling does not go away and when another killing spree happens Calvino is left wondering how the past is affecting the present.

Autumn Reiniger is celebrating her 21st birthday with a “crime spree weekend” which is an urban reality weekend courtesy of her father. However, unbeknown to him one of the characters is in fact a psychopath who along with a motley crew is determined to turn what was supposed to be a lovely weekend into a nightmare. It is soon up to Jo Beckett and Gabe Quintana to keep everyone safe from the gang. The Nightmare Thief is by Meg Gardiner and is due to be published in June 2011.

The Last Chance is the sequel to The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd. Steve Vali’s attempt to have a romantic getaway with FBI Agent Kate Bannon is thwarted when he becomes involved in helping the FBI track down some rouge agents before the Russians get their hands on them. Unfortunately this is not going to be done quickly or quietly. The Last Chance is due to be published in May 2011.

When a whole family is found murdered in Stockholm Detective Inspector Linna knows that there is only one person who can help. That person is retired hypnotist Erik Maria Bark. Erik is reluctant to return to this line of work due to accusations made against him. He agrees to do so but as he digs deeper into the case it soon becomes clear that the one person who may hold all the answers may also be the culprit. The Hypnotist is by Lars Kepler and is due to be published in May 2011.

Claire Seeber is the author of Fragile Minds. When a bomb explodes outside the Royal Academy of Ballet DCI Silver is finding it hard to come up with and suspects. Meanwhile, for Claudie who is suffering blackouts, when her friend Tess is killed in the explosion she believes that there is a link to her. It is up to Claudie and DCI Silver to get to the bottom of what is happening as soon as possible. Fragile Minds is due to be published in April 2011.

The Killing Hourby Andrew Gross is due to be published in April 2011. When Dr Jay Handler is told of the death of his nephew Evan he is furious because Evan did not get the help that he needed but he also knew that Evan would never commit suicide. As he digs deep to find out the truth he finds himself battling a cult devastating its way through the country.

GamesTraitors Play is by Jon Stock. The CIA is under pressure to hunt down Salim Dhar the world’s most wanted terrorist especially since he narrowly fails to kill the US President. It is down to MI6 Officer Daniel Marchant to track him down. But with Dhar disregarding modern technology old customs are being used to pass messages. To discover what is going on an who is shielding Dhar, Marchant must become a double agent but does he have the ability and how far will his loyalties be tested. Games Traitors Play is due to be published in March 2011.

In Sanctus a man throws himself to death. It is not however a suicide but a symbolic act witnessed by the whole world. For some it is what they have been waiting for a they will do anything to stop the citadel from being taken apart. For Liv Adamsen a New York Crime Reporter it is the start of a journey into the heart of her own identity.Sanctus is by Simon Toyne and is due for publication in April 2011.

The savage murder of 8-year old Lauren’s mother turns her world upside down. Her beloved father is imprisoned. As an adult she has a number of problems one of them being her brother Alex’s insistence that their father is innocent. Meanwhile, Sylvia Hall is running away from her boyfriend determined to keep the baby he does not want. Her only help is her best friend Victoria but, Victoria has her own problems to contend with. All three women are connected by tragedy and betrayal. Close Your Eyes is by Amanda Eyre-Ward and is due to be published in March 2011.

Rebellion is the fourth book in the Matthew Hawkwood series. It is October 1812 and both Britain and France are at war but there is also a rebellion brewing. Bow Street Runner Matthew Hawkwood has been seconded to the foreign arm of the Secret Service. He’s to join a colleague in Paris on a special mission that needs his help. If the plan is successful it could lead to a negotiated peace treaty between France and the allies. Failure would mean prison, torture and a meeting with the guillotine. Rebellion is by James McGee and is due to be published in February 2011.

Beverley Barton’sIf looks Could Kill is due to be published in February 2011. A number of victims have been found faced down in a river in Tennessee naked except for a black ribbon found around their necks. They are all also redheads. Meanwhile Reve Sorrell (also a redhead) has come to Tennessee seeking answers. As the serial killer leaves another calling card Reve turns to Sheriff Butler to help her with her past unknowing that there is someone close determined to stop her.

Ben Hope has a desperate fight on his hands: to uphold justice, evade capture and prove his own innocence. Whilst visiting a former SAS comrade in Italy, Ben Hope almost runs over a young boy -- and unwittingly walks into his deadliest mission yet. Persuaded by the boy's family to attend a valuable gallery exhibition, Ben is witness to a ruthless attack by a gang of criminals seeking to steal a relatively worthless Goya sketch. In the ensuing bloodbath Ben evades the criminals, but tragically, the young boy is killed. Vowing to track down the criminals, Ben is quickly drawn into a world of treachery and danger where nothing is what it seems. Unwittingly caught up in the machinations of secret political forces, Ben finds himself wrongly accused of the murder of an Italian politician and becomes a fugitive, pursued by the combined forces of Europe's police. The Lost Relic by Scott Mariani is the sixth book in the Ben Hope series and is due to be published in January 2011.

Married

with

one child and a career: Lydia has her life in perfect order – if only everyone else around her could be

as organised as she is. Her unmarried twin sister Elisa is still struggling to find what she wants to do. And her colleagues at the school where she teaches often fail to reach her high standards. But one day, it all falls apart f

rom Lydia. When she is threatened by one of her pupils, her sister is the first person she turns to. But Elisa is powerless to stop the campaign of intimidation that follows. How far will it go? Or is someone else taking advantage of the situation? And what is Elisa’s part in all of this? Twins are close. Aren’t they. Shadow Sister is by Dutch author Simone Van Der Vlgut and is due to be published in January 2011.

Cold Kill is by Neil White and is due to be published in June 2011. When a young woman, Jane Roberts, is strangled and murdered, the police discover that her orifices have been assaulted in a most disturbing way. She is the second woman to be killed in this way within a month and terrifyingly, it seems there is a new serial killer on the loose. Crime reporter Jack Garrett is covering the story for the local paper while his fiancée, Laura McGanity, is one of the detectives on the case. The stresses of both their jobs have taken their toll and recently they have started to grow apart. When Jack starts to receive sinister emails from someone disclosing details of the case, he initially thinks that there is a leak in the murder squad. Meanwhile, retired child psychologist, Rupert Barker, recognises aspects of the murder from his own work and thinks that there are alarming parallels with a young boy that used to be in his care. Barker is murdered before he can share his suspicions with the police. Jack realises that the emails he has been receiving are from the killer. The messages have become more and more explicit and it is clear that his appetite for mayhem and destruction have not been sated – now, he tells Jack, he wants Laura. Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Jack and Laura must unlock the past if they are to find the killer – but someone out there will do anything to stop them, even if that means killing again and again and again.